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SOUR DOUGH STARTER (SPONGE)

The intent of a sour dough starter is to capture and tame wild yeasts and organisms that create the desired flavor in your breads. Nature provides these naturally, provided you use the right basic ingredients.

Use organic products (products that you know have not been treated with chemicals and sterilized of naturally occurring yeasts). These will provide your "sour dough" organisms.

While you are at it, pick up some untreated dried grapes (that's right you will need four or five raisins!!. You could use pieces of ripe pineaple rind or any other fruit that has natural yeasts and organisms on it.

Basically think of anything that might have yeasts and bacteria to use...gather it together and make it ready.

Ingredients

add up the number of tsp of your grains used, divide by four, this is the number of teaspoons of yoghurt to add.

add up the number of tsp of grains used, this is the amount of water to add.

Stir those ingredients together in a sterile container...remember to always have sterile containers to use for your new "friend" if you really like his flavors you will have him around a LONG time!

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Preparation

mix ingerdients and stir well. Place in sterile jar or (non porous) crock. Cover. Let stand for 4 hours or more.
Add all ingredients again, exactly as before reducing the yoghurt by half. stir in well. Set aside covered for 4 to 8 hours.
repeat until you can see bubbles at each feeding and smell the wonderful sourdough smell begin.
remove any remnants of fruits such as raisins after two or three days.
Stir well, pour out 1/2 of the ingredients, transfer the balance to a clean crock or jar.
Add 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water. stir well and set aside in a cool place.
repeat, every once in a while reducing the starter to only 4 ounces (saves you feeding it).
keep repeating for about a week. You will smell the wonderful sourness and know that it is good easily by its smell.
When very active you can feed 1 cup water and 1 cup flour (a/p flour is fine) and refrigerate or even freeze.
To assure you dont kill your new friend, when you make breads, tear off some dough and freeze it.... that can be made into starter again by adding 1 cup water and 1 cup flour!
Keep several samples of starter in the fridge and freezer, just in case you forget to feed or get contamination.
If your new friend is not sour enough you can add rye flour or other natural flour instead of a/p flour. This will add new cultures espeically if from a different batch of rye flour!
Use this in any sour dough recipe, as per instructions for making sour dough breads.
Remember that you must make your starter very active in order to begin making bread. Feed it daily of on the countertop, weekly if refrigerated.
If frozen you will need to thaw about once every two to six months and reactivate well before freezing or using in a recipe.